First Record of Invasive Tawny Crazy Ant Nylanderia Fulva (mayr) (hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Continental Ecuador and Notes on Its Ecology in Sugarcane Crops

We report the first known record of the tawny crazy ant Nylanderia fulva (Mayr) in continental Ecuador. In addition, we describe the mutualistic association between ants and white aphids Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) in a sugarcane crop. Finally, we highlight the necessity to carry out studies of this nature due to an increasing number of invasive ant species in Ecuador and their potential damage to agricultural and natural ecosystems.